1. Technical Field
The present method and system relate to methods and systems for maintaining air temperature within a building in general, and to methods and systems for maintaining air temperature within an air handling system of a building in particular.
2. Background Information
In large buildings, traditional air conditioning systems are often centralized. Most centralized air conditioning systems require space for machinery rooms (usually in a basement), which rooms typically include installed chillers. Thermal energy residing within the building is transferred to the outside of the building via cooling towers located outside of the building. Alternatively, air cooled chillers may be installed outside of the building. Fresh air is treated by air handling units installed in one part of the building and air is delivered to each floor by duct work which requires large vertical conduits (between centralized air handling equipment and each floor). This configuration occupies a lot of space in a building and must conform to regulatory constraints relating to fire safety (vertical ducts can potentially facilitate fire propagation between floors).
Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) costs represent a significant percentage of the energy costs required to operate a building. Historically, chilled beam HVAC systems have relied upon heating and cooling coils to add heat to, or take heat out of the chilled beams. The use of heating and/or cooling coils dedicated to the chilled beam HVAC system add to the cost of the system and represent an energy cost during operation.
What is needed is an HVAC system, and method for operating the same, that utilizes heating and cooling sources that have lower installation and operating costs and have minimal system requirements.